Tamworth has had its wettest October since 2017 with plenty of the rain falling in the right spot, too.
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The Bureau of Meteorology recorded 73.6mm of rain at the Tamworth Airport but that total paled in comparison to the amount that fell at Chaffey Dam.
While Tamworth Airport received above the October rainfall average of 57.75mm, WaterNSW recorded a massive 117.15mm of rain out at Chaffey Dam.
Surpassing both those spots was the Head of the Peel - which flows into Chaffey Dam. BoM recorded a massive 210.8mm out there.
The rainfall saw the dam level surge from 26.07 per cent on October 1 to 32.7 per cent on October 31.
This meant the dam moved past the trigger point - of 30 per cent - for the easing of water restrictions from Level 3 to Level 4.
The lightened restrictions in Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal were implemented on Monday in accordance with the drought management plan.
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Sprinklers are still a no-go but residents are now able to use a handheld hose for 15 minutes a day in a two-hour period in the afternoon.
Pools can be filled during the 15 minutes of allowed hose time while buckets and watering cans can also be used without limitation within the two-hour window.
LEVEL 3 WATER RESTRICTIONS
For Tamworth, Moonbi and Kootingal
- All use of sprinklers is banned - including sprinklers, sprays, microjet sprays, fixed hoses and subsurface dripper systems.
- Handheld hoses for 15 minutes only per property within the two hour window of 5pm to 7pm Eastern Standard Time or 6pm to 8pm Daylight Saving Time.
- No washdown of hard surfaces outdoors, including pressure cleaners.
- Pools can be filled during 15 minutes of allowed hose time.
- Irrigation of Council's Category 1 and 2 parks, gardens, reserves and playing fields continues in accordance with the Drought Management Plan.
- All previously issued Water Management Plans are now inactive.
- Recycled water, greywater and rainwater can be used. Rainwater tanks can only be approved by Council and a sign issued if they are stand-alone and not able to be switched to the treated supply.
- Buckets and watering cans can be used within the two hour window without limitation.
Chaffey wasn't the only dam to get a top-up. In the Liverpool Plains Shire, Quipolly Dam has reached 100 per cent capacity following the recent rain events.
Ben Jaffrey
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
Ben is a content curator and journalist for The Land. He has been with ACM since 2015 and first worked at The Area News and then at the Northern Daily Leader. Ben first joined ACM Agri as a digital journalist for all seven agricultural mastheads in 2022 before shifting to The Land full-time in 2023.
